Maliki : Poison of the Past, a two-decade Legacy brought to life.
Maliki : Poison of the Past is a time-manipulation RPG adventure based on the beloved French comic book series. The game was developed by independent studio Blue Banshee and published by Ankama Games. Founded in Brittany by a comic book creator, game designer, and animation specialist, Blue Banshee focuses on crafting unique fantasy experiences. Ankama, established in 2001, is a multimedia group best known for their MMO, Dofus, and tactical RPG, Waven.
The gaming landscape is filled with RPGS that draw inspiration from various media, but few manage to capture the essence of their source material as faithfully as Maliki : Poison of the Past. Born from the pages of the beloved Maliki comic series, this single-player adventure RPG is a celebration of two decades of storytelling, with the original comics having sold over 300,000 copies across eight volumes worldwide.
Developed by a team that bridges the gap between comic artistry and game design, Poison of the Past presents a world that is both visually striking and mechanically engaging. The game’s aesthetic is a masterful blend of French and Japanese influences, merging the expressive boldness of European comics with the playful charm of chibi-style JRPGS. The result is a universe that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly original, inviting players to lose themselves in its vibrant, time-twisted landscapes.
At the heart of the adventure is Sand, a protagonist whose journey begins with a mysterious attack and an otherworldly intervention that transports her to the Domaine, a realm frozen in time. Here, she encounters Maliki and Fang, two figures who quickly enlist her aid in a conflict against an enigmatic force. However, the narrative takes a fascinating turn when Sand realises she has arrived at an earlier point in their timeline, setting the stage for a story rich with temporal paradoxes and existential questions.
The game employs the isekai trope, where characters are displaced into unfamiliar worlds, to great effect, immersing players in Sand’s disorientation. As she navigates the Domaine’s peculiar inhabitants and uncovers its secrets, players are drawn into a tale that is as much about self-discovery as it is about saving a fractured world.
Survival mechanics form a core pillar of Maliki : Poison of the Past, with farming, cooking, and crafting systems that demand attention and strategy. Farming, while essential for gathering resources, is a double-edged sword.
Unlike the precision found in dedicated farming sims, planting seeds in Poison of the Past can feel frustratingly imprecise. Sand’s movements are sometimes unpredictable, leading to misplaced crops and unintended ricochets off terrain.
Despite these quirks, the system remains rewarding thanks to the experience points and stat boosts it provides, ensuring that perseverance pays off. Cooking, handled by a character named Lady, streamlines meal preparation but introduces its own limitations.
With only four meal slots available and no option to purchase consumables, players must carefully manage ingredients to avoid redundancy. Buffs, though helpful, are fleeting, lasting just 20 real-world minutes, and cannot be stacked, adding a layer of tactical consideration to every culinary decision.
Crafting, meanwhile, offers a risk-reward dynamic that encourages experimentation. Scavenged materials can be forged into equipment that enhances offensive capabilities, but often at the cost of defensive vulnerabilities.
This system invites players to tailor their gear to their playstyle, though the lack of in-depth guidance may leave some feeling adrift in a sea of possibilities. The game’s crafting mechanics are a microcosm of its broader design philosophy: rewarding for those who invest the time, but occasionally opaque for newcomers.
Central to the Domaine’s lore is the Thousand Roots Tree, a colossal entity that sustains the fabric of time itself. As Sand, players must restore the tree’s vitality by collecting Naturons, energy fragments scattered throughout the world.
This mechanic not only drives exploration but also reinforces the game’s environmental themes. Characters like Becky, a future party member, emphasise the Domaine’s ethos of sustainability, such as the refusal to use animals for meat. These narrative touches lend depth to the world, making it feel like a place with its values and history.
Combat in Maliki : Poison of the Past is where the game truly distinguishes itself. The turn-based system is infused with temporal mechanics, thanks to the Chronopack, a device that allows Sand and her allies to move freely in the frozen Domaine. This creates surreal, dreamlike encounters where the environment stands still until it is interacted with.
The Chrono Point Gauge adds another layer of strategy, filling as players execute moves and enabling Temporal Actions that can rewind time for healing or fast-forward for combo attacks. Coordinating these abilities between party members, particularly when positioning them on opposite ends of the timeline, adds a satisfying tactical depth. However, the system’s complexity isn’t always well-explained, and the inclusion of mandatory quick-time events for blocking can feel at odds with the otherwise methodical pace of battles.
Exploration is both a strength and a weakness. Each party member brings unique abilities to solve environmental puzzles, with Sand’s time manipulation allowing her to rewind or fast-forward objects. Yet, the precision required for these actions can be finicky, and the absence of a puzzle reset button means failed attempts often necessitate reloading from a portal.
The lack of a map further complicates navigation, particularly in later areas where the environments grow more labyrinthine. While this design choice may enhance immersion early on, it becomes a source of frustration as the world expands.
Sand’s character arc is another point of contention. Her initial lack of backstory, spanning several hours of gameplay, risks alienating players, especially when contrasted with the vividly drawn personalities of Maliki, Fang, and the villainous Poison.
However, as the narrative unfolds, Sand’s journey gains emotional weight, culminating in a finale that explores profound themes of causality and identity. The game’s willingness to grapple with the consequences of time manipulation, asking whether altering the past erases one’s true self, elevates it beyond a simple adventure RPG.
Visually, Maliki : Poison of the Past is a triumph of style over technical prowess. The chibi-inspired character models and painterly backdrops evoke a living comic book, though the line between interactive elements and decorative scenery isn’t always clear. This occasionally leads to navigation hiccups, but the overall presentation is undeniably charming.
The soundtrack complements the aesthetic beautifully, with battle themes that adapt to each era’s tone and quieter melodies that underscore the story’s emotional beats. The absence of voice acting may disappoint some, but it allows the expressive animations to shine. The sound effects, each attack type boasting its distinct audio signature, add punch to every encounter.
Overall, Maliki : Poison of the Past is a game of contrasts. Its farming mechanics can be clunky, its tutorials sparse, and its navigation occasionally bewildering. Yet, these flaws are counterbalanced by a heartfelt narrative, inventive combat, and a visual and auditory identity that lingers in the memory.
It’s a game that asks players to ponder the weight of their choices, wrapped in a package that feels both nostalgic and daringly original. For those willing to overlook its rough edges, Maliki : Poison of the Past offers an adventure that is both thought-provoking and enchanting, a testament to the enduring power of its source material and the creative vision of its developers.
